How to Run OpenClaw Everywhere: Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack & More

Introduction

This is Day 5 of the 16-day OpenClaw Bootcamp. Today, your agent stops living in one place and starts living everywhere. By the end of this session, you'll have at least two working channels connected end-to-end — sharing the same memory, identity, and model configuration.

If you're following along from Day 4 (cost optimization), you already have a tuned agent running with a dual-model setup. Now we're going to make it accessible from wherever you actually work — your phone, your desktop, your team's Slack, or a web browser.

Video Tutorial

Watch the full Day 5 video walkthrough — every setup covered live with screen recordings:

What Is a Channel in OpenClaw?

A channel in OpenClaw is a messaging interface that connects your agent to the outside world. Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, iMessage, Slack, and web chat are all channels. Each one is a separate way to talk to the same agent.

The key insight: channels connect to the gateway, and the gateway routes messages to your agent. Every channel shares the same agent brain — same soul.md, same memory, same model config. The only differences are the messaging interface and what formatting/media each platform supports.

The Full Channel Landscape

Telegram Deep Dive

Telegram is the most popular OpenClaw channel for good reason. Setup takes minutes, it works on every platform, and it supports rich features: commands, groups, media, file sharing, and proactive notifications.

Beyond the basics, Telegram gives you:

• Bot commands — custom slash commands your agent responds to
• Group support — add your agent to group chats for team access
• Media handling — send and receive images, documents, voice notes
• Proactive messages — your agent can reach out to you without being asked

WhatsApp Setup

WhatsApp connects through a linked device login — the same mechanism WhatsApp Web uses. Your agent essentially becomes another device linked to your WhatsApp account. This means it can send and receive messages as you, which makes it feel seamless but requires careful access control.

Discord Setup

Discord is ideal for team and community use. You create a Discord bot, invite it to your server, and configure the channel in OpenClaw. Multiple people can interact with the same agent in dedicated channels, making it great for shared team assistants.

iMessage Setup

iMessage makes sense for Apple-first setups where you want your agent accessible through the native Messages app. It requires a Mac running the gateway (since iMessage is tied to Apple's ecosystem), but once set up, it's the most frictionless mobile experience for iPhone users.

Slack Setup

Slack requires more setup (creating a Slack app, configuring OAuth, setting up event subscriptions) but is worth it for work contexts. Your agent can participate in channels, respond to DMs, and integrate with your team's existing Slack-based workflows.

Web Chat

Web chat is the best desktop interface for long-form work. It runs in your browser, supports full markdown rendering, code blocks, and long responses without the truncation that messaging apps sometimes impose. If you're doing deep work with your agent, this is where you'll do it.

What's Shared Across Channels

This is the most important concept to understand:

• Shared across all channels: Memory, soul.md, model config, skills, tools, heartbeat
• Separate per channel: Conversation history, formatting, media capabilities, notification settings

Your agent is one brain with multiple mouths. It remembers a conversation you had on Telegram when you switch to Slack. But each channel maintains its own conversation thread.

Formatting Differences by Channel

Different platforms render text differently. Telegram supports Markdown and HTML. WhatsApp supports basic formatting (bold, italic, monospace). Discord supports full Markdown. Web chat supports rich Markdown with code highlighting. Your agent adapts its formatting to the channel it's speaking through.

Media, Voice Notes & Documents

Media support varies significantly:

• Telegram: Images, documents, voice notes, video, location sharing — full support
• WhatsApp: Images, documents, voice notes, location — full support
• Discord: Images, documents, file attachments — good support
• Slack: Images, documents, file sharing — good support
• iMessage: Images, documents — basic support
• Web Chat: Text and code — focused on long-form interaction

Security, Pairing & Allowlists

Running your agent on multiple channels means more surface area to secure. OpenClaw provides three layers:

• Allowlists: Specify exactly which user IDs or phone numbers can interact with your agent on each channel
• Device pairing: Require a pairing code before a new device can send messages to your agent
• Per-channel access: You can lock down sensitive channels while leaving others open

Rule of thumb: always set up allowlists on WhatsApp and iMessage (since they're tied to your personal accounts). Telegram and Discord can use bot-level permissions. Slack inherits your workspace's access controls.

Which Channel Should You Use?

• Quick questions on the go: Telegram or WhatsApp
• Proactive alerts and reminders: Telegram (best notification support)
• Team workflows: Discord or Slack
• Deep work and long-form interaction: Web chat
• Apple-native experience: iMessage

Best Channel Combinations

Most users settle on two or three channels:

• Solo user: Telegram (mobile) + Web Chat (desktop)
• Small team: Discord (shared) + Telegram (personal) + Web Chat (deep work)
• Business: Slack (work) + WhatsApp (client-facing) + Web Chat (internal)
• Apple household: iMessage (personal) + Web Chat (desktop)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use all channels at the same time?

Yes. All channels run simultaneously and share the same agent. You can message your agent on Telegram from your phone and continue the thought on Web Chat from your laptop.

Does my agent's memory carry across channels?

Yes. Memory is shared. Your agent remembers everything regardless of which channel you used. Only conversation threads are per-channel.

Which channel should I set up first?

Telegram. It's the fastest to set up, has the best feature support, and works on every platform. Start there, then add a second channel based on your workflow.

Is WhatsApp setup safe?

WhatsApp uses the linked device mechanism — the same one WhatsApp Web uses. Your agent is essentially another device on your account. Use allowlists to control who can reach it, and review connected devices regularly.